Pragmatism can lead Silk Roads to success

The Silk Road Economic Belt and 21st Century Maritime Silk Road initiatives of President Xi Jinping are aimed at promoting regional economic cooperation. Being supplementary to the existing world economic order, the initiatives will help boost regional economic cooperation and development through infrastructure construction based on China's successful experiences over the past decades.

How cities can go for the new normal

A new Deutsche Bank study says that last year, China's 300 cities faced a 37 percent drop in their land-sale revenues - which is a major setback given that land sales accounted for 35 percent of total local government revenues. Such revenues had risen at an average annual rate of 24 percent from 2009 to 2013.

Asian triangles may not prove eternal

With the very welcome announcement by US President Barack Obama's National Security Adviser Susan Rice of separate state-visit invitations to the leaders of China and Japan, the much-discussed but so far amorphous US "pivot to Asia" policy looks to be taking on the shape of a triangle.

Small steps by individuals are big strides forward

In response to a local initiative, some residents in Hefei in central China's Anhui province exchanged the fireworks they had bought for plants so they could reduce the air pollution rather than add to it.

Gifts worth $168k make Oscar losers smile

Twenty Oscar-nominated directors, actors and actresses went home on Sunday without a coveted statuette - but they weren't entirely empty-handed.

69 dead as boat sinks after collision

The death toll in a ferry accident in central Bangladesh soared to 69 on Monday, after emergency workers recovered more bodies from the wreckage of an overcrowded boat that sank after colliding with a cargo vessel.

Blast casts shadow over peace deal

A blast killed at least two people and injured nine others during a march in the eastern Ukrainian city of Kharkiv on Sunday, casting a shadow over the 10-day-old cease-fire agreement.

Crown Prince urges nation not to forget horrors of WW2

Japanese Crown Prince Naruhito has made a call to remember Japan's wartime past and the horrors of World War Two - remarks that come as Prime Minister Shinzo Abe seeks to recast his country's wartime history.

South Korea summons Japanese diplomat to protest 'Takeshima Day'

South Korea summoned a senior Japanese diplomat on Monday to strongly protest Japan's latest move of sending a high-level government official to attend the controversial "Takeshima Day" event.

IN BRIEF (Page 4)

Military operation in Syria evacuates tomb, moves crypt

Turkey launched an overnight military operation into neighboring Syria to evacuate troops guarding an Ottoman tomb and to move the crypt to a new location, Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said on Sunday.

PM says 'system' failed public before siege

Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott said on Sunday that "the system" had let the public down by failing to protect it from the "monster" who carried out a deadly siege in a Sydney cafe.